We would all love the world of brick and mortar to be rosy 100% of the time but unfortunately this is impossible. A multitude of factors including changing rental agreements, changing consumer habits, the launch of new product lines, changes in trade tariffs and the continual evolution of e-commerce mean that the topsy-turvy nature of brick and mortar retail is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
Everyone loves to build more stores and increase their brand presence but in an increasingly competitive economy more companies are investing in refreshes and remodels, and unfortunately relocations and store closings are becoming more common. The trend in recent years has been for multi-site brands with a huge store count to consolidate their portfolio to a leaner fleet of flagship stores. On the other end of the spectrum the emergence of digitally native vertical brands such as Allbirds, Casper, Rhone and Lovesac have made the step from being purely online to an omnichannel approach.
Stores closing or relocating can cause significant challenges for all stakeholders due to tight timelines, financial consequences for not meeting deadlines, and the negative press associated with stores closing. One of the solutions that we provide to our clients at Royal Services is turnkey store decoms which is made possible through bundling services. We take complete ownership of the process from start to finish so that you can rest assured that your store will be handed back over to the landlord on time, on budget, and in the required condition. Here are some of the challenges that our team of critical thinking project managers take off of your plate when you partner with Royal Services for your decom needs.
When it comes to store decoms, most organizations typically have three key areas that they need to worry about:
(1) Firstly there is the technology or IT phase. Every piece of technology in the store is removed, boxed up and returned as required by the client. This includes everything from computers and printers, to routers and phones. All items are disconnected, packaged up and collected by a logistics company, which is typically managed by the client. This stage is typically relatively simple and often takes just a handful of hours as the entire scope is relatively simple and is known before work commences.
(2) The second stage is referred to as the general decom and this is where almost all evidence of the current tenant is removed and the store is returned to it's original condition per the lease agreement. During this stage, all fixtures are removed and disposed of or returned to a storage warehouse. Floors are cleaned, cove base removed, walls patched and painted, signage removed, and all trash disposed of so that the white box is ready for the next tenant.
(3) The hand-off to the landlord. Once steps 1 and 2 are complete, the vendor will work with the landlord to ensure that all requirements contained within the lease agreement have been met. Once the landlord is satisfied he will sign off on the agreement, collect the keys, and regain possession of the space. The vendor will then upload deliverables, the executed lease agreement and photos to the client's portal and move onto the next location.
At Royal, we provide turnkey store decom solutions handling everything from the logistics of returning equipment and disposing of trash, to working with the landlord to ensure everything is as required for the hand-off. Our clients are kept in the loop throughout every stage of the process but do not need to worry about vendors not turning up causing the move out deadline to be missed and having to pay the associated fines. We handle every step of the process so you don't have to. Next time you are faced with a store decom, let our team handle it from start to finish and compare this process with the current way that you are operating. We know you won't regret it.
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